Bethesda’s latest spacefaring RPG, Starfield, was highly anticipated for years but it has left many players feeling a bit let down due to several glaring issues and a lack of attention to detail.
One of the most baffling oversights is the lack of NPC reactions when you aim your weapon at them or even shoot it. This mechanic, which even Skyrim had back in 2011, is strangely absent in Bethesda’s latest, breaking immersion and raising questions about Bethesda’s commitment to detailed game design.
Skyrim’s Lack of Attention to Detail Ruins Immersion
One of the nice features of Skyrim was the way NPCs reacted to your actions. Aim your bow at any NPC, and they’ll cower in fear or tell you to stop. This simple mechanic added realism and immersion to the game.
Why aren’t npc’s scared when I aim at them?
byu/SenorSpoof inStarfield
Fast forward to twelve years and two console generations later, and we have Starfield, a game set in a massive universe with thousands of characters, yet none of them seem to care if you point a gun at them. It’s a small detail, but its absence is missed by players.
Many players on social media platforms have pointed out this issue since release, which still hasn’t been fixed or updated, noting how it breaks the immersion. At least Cyberpunk 2077 improved on this feature when it was released with minimal NPC feedback back in 2020.
This makes the world feel lifeless and robotic. This sentiment is echoed by many others, who feel that Bethesda missed an opportunity to make this universe feel truly alive. The lack of NPC reactions is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the game’s shortcomings. Compared to previous Bethesda games, there are several areas where the game feels underdeveloped.
Starfield Is Lacking in More Than a Few Aspects
In Skyrim and Fallout 4, the world felt dynamic and alive. The weather changed, NPCs had daily routines, and events unfolded around you dynamically. This created a living, breathing world. In Starfield, the environments often feels static and unchanging. For example, towns and spaceports lack the bustling activity and variety seen in Elder Scrolls’ cities.
Another area where the game falls short is its dialogue system. While Bethesda has never been known for in-depth dialogue options or elaborate roleplaying mechanics via its dialogue system, unlike Obsidian, Starfield’s system feels even more simplified and less impactful.
Conversations are more straightforward, with fewer branching paths and meaningful choices. This has led to criticisms that the game lacks depth in its storytelling and character interactions. The dialogues themselves are usually rather boring and too positive, rarely letting you roleplay as an anti-hero.
Starfield, with its insanely ambitious scope, had the potential to set a new standard for open-world RPGs. However, the lack of attention to detail and the omission of features that made previous Bethesda games great have left many players disappointed. The absence of NPC reactions when you aim at them is a glaring example, but it’s far from the only issue.
What do you think of this valid criticism of the game? Let us know in the comments.
